Abstract:

In Europe, English language, as the language of national integration, is the most dominant word-donor to other less popular languages. But, is usage of English words a sign of cosmopolitanism or rather a sign of strange and deviant speech behavior? Many people consider this kind of language as a broken language, whereas some linguists appreciate it as a part of the natural language development and acquisition process. Studies of this linguistic practice began already in the twentieth century and since then researchers have used a broad array of grammatical, social, and stylistic approaches to examine it. Despite the range of studies, the topic is still oversimplified, not fully examined and the results are not informative for the native speakers of the affected languages. The goal of this study is to find out what native speakers of one of the European languages (with relatively small amount of speakers) think about the occurrence of anglicisms in their mother tongue.
By using an untraditional, relaxed method of observation and further, by analyzing the direct opinions and attitudes of Norwegian students, I collected valuable data, which I evaluated and then compared it to the linguistic theoretical background. The outcome of the study was quite astonishing because, surprisingly, Norwegian young adults have a rather good sense of control over the usage of anglicisms in their language. What is more, they often use that kind of linguistic practices with a
pinch of salt, using anglicisms only in jokes or ironic remarks.
In order to understand the real reasons behind the usage of anglicisms, it is crucial to have a basic understanding of anglicisms and the importance of English language in Europe. Therefore, in the paper, I will discuss the theoretical background and opinions on the topic from the professionals in the field, with the aim of understanding that the language development is a natural and creative process.